Method of forming a multiple-unit package



T. E. PIAZZE ET AL METHOD OF FORMING A MULTIPLE-UNIT PACKAGE I May 28,1968 Original Filed May 10, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet l Waller 6. Car

May 28, 1968 T. E. PIAZZE ET AL METHOD OF FORMING A MULTIPLE-UNITPACKAGE Original Filed May 10. 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 33 Walier 6 C rim,E3 M (W5- United States Patent 3,385,024 METHOD OF FORMING AMULTIPLE-UNIT PACKAGE Thomas E. Piazza and Walter C. Curtis, MountVernon, Ohio, assignors to (lontinental Can Company, Inc, New York,N.Y., a corporation of New York Original application May 10, 196.5, Ser.No. 454,606, new Patent No. 3,332,548, dated July 25, 1967. Divided andthis application Feb. 11, 1966, Ser. No. 526,886 Qlaims. (Cl. 5329) Thisapplication is a division of application Ser. No. 454,606, filed May 10,1965, now Patent No. 3,332,548.

This invention relates to packaging and is more particularly concernedwith improvements in a package and a method of forming the same whereinrelatively small packaged product units are enclosed in separatecompartments of an outer container which is substantially larger thanthe individual packages of the product.

It is a general object of the invention to provide an improved packageand a method of forming the same which comprises a pair of packagedproduct portions enclosed in separate compartments in an outer containerof flexible package forming material having a tearing line between theindividual compartments so that the container may be readily separatedinto two units each containing a packaged product portion whereby eitherunit may be torn open and the enclosed package made available for use orconsumption while the package in the other unit remains fully enclosedtherein.

It is a more specific object of the invention to provide a multi-unit,flexible package and a method of forming the same wherein an outerbag-type container of flexible plastic film material is divided into twoor more sealed compartments with perforations or like severance linesbetween the same and with product portions in a sealed bag in each ofthe compartments so that each unit may be readily separated from anadjoining unit without breaking the seals of either the inner packagecontaining the product or the outer package unit which encloses thesame.

It is another object of the invention to provide a flexible plastic bagfor a double unit package which is of tubular shape with one end openand with the other end closed by a gusset formation, and which isflattened and provided with a short seal extending in the axialdirection across the infolded gusset bottom and intermediate the sideedge forming folds of the bag.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparentfrom a consideration of the package and the method of forming the samewhich are illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of an outer bag which is adapted to beused in forming a package in accordance with the invention, the bagbeing shown in flattened and empty condition;

FIGURE 2 is a cross section taken on the line 2-2 of FIGURE 1, to anenlarged scale;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary cross section taken on the line 3-3 of FIGURE1, to an enlarged scale;

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of a completed twinunit package after thebag of FIGURE 1 has been filled, closed and sealed;

FIGURE 5 is a cross section taken on the line 5-5 of FIGURE 4, to anenlarged scale;

FIGURES 6, 7 and 8 are plan views illustrating the successive operationsperformed in producing the package of FIGURE 4;

FIGURES 9 to 12 illustrate, more or less schematically, the stepsinvolved in forming the longitudinal seals and the center perforationline in the outer bag after the latter is filled and closed; and

FIGURE 13 is a fragmentary view showing a portion of FIGURE 12, to astill larger scale.

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Referring first to FIGURES 1 to 3, there is illustrated an outer bagconstruction which is adapted to be employed in forming the twin-unitpackage which is illustrated in FIGURE 4. The outer bag 10 may be formedfrom a sheet of flexible plastic film, for example, polyethylene,Pliofilrn, cellulose acetate or other suitable plastic film. In formingthe bag 10 as shown, an elongate rectangular sheet of the film materialis folded upon itself on parallel, transverse fold lines so as toprovide for the gusset 11 and with the end edges spaced so as to providethe lip 12 at the open mouth of the bag. The side edges 13 and 14 areeach connected or closed by a suitable heat seal, for example, aconventional bead seal. The gusset end of the bag thus formedconstitutes the bottom of the bag and a relatively short heat seal isapplied on the line 15 so that it extends across the full width of thegusset 11 and welds the folds in collapsed condition at this point.Preferably, the heat seal 15 is on a line extending along thelongitudinal center or axis of the bag, so as to divide the bag, atleast at the bottom end, into two equal sections or compartments.

In using the bag It to form the package 16 of FIGURE 4, the mouth of thebag is held open and two filled and closed bags 17 and 17' of theproduct to be packaged are inserted as shown in FIGURE 6. The packages17 and 17' may be identical and each comprises a quantity of a product,such as, for example, cereal, potato chips, pretzels, or the like,enclosed in a conventional bag of suitable packaging material with theproduct being completely enclosed and preferably sealed in the innerbag. The inner bags are of a material suitable for enclosing theparticular product. In the case of a cereal, for example, it may be 'waxpaper, glassine, cellophane or the like. The two bags or packages of theproduct 17 and 17 may be inserted in the outer bag 10, while the mouthis held open by spreader members 18, 18', as indicated in FIGURE 6, andthe mouth of the bag is then closed by a heat seal 19. There after, thelip 12 and associated portions indicated at 20 outside the seal line 19are cut off and discarded. The outer bag is then divided into separatecompartments by sealing along longitudinally spaced lines to provide theseals 21 and 22 which extend from one end of the outer bag to the otherso as to completely enclose the inner packages 17 and 17', incompartments 23 and 24, which are separated by the longitudinal seals 21and 22. The package is then completed by perforating along the axialline 25 midway between the seals 21 and 22 and in alignment with theinitial seal 15. The completed package has the form illustrated inFIGURE 4 with the inner packages or filled bags 17 and 17 completelyenclosed each in a sealed compartment, and with the two compartments 23and 24 adjoining each other and separated by a perforation line 25extending between the same so as to permit ready separation of the outerbag into two parts or units. Separation of the two sections or units ofthe outer bag enables each of the inner bags or packages 17 and 17 to beopened and used separately with the remaining package fully enclosed andcompletely protected against deterioration while the other package isbeing consumed or used.

In FIGURES 9 to 13, there is illustrated a method of forming thelongitudinal seals 21 and 22 and providing the perforated tearing line25. Referring first to FIGURE 9, outer bag 10, as shown, has receivedthe inner packages 17 and 17 and the seal 19 has been applied with thewaste section 20 trimmed off. The package assembly is placed on anelongate supporting bar member 26 either by hand or by an appropriatemechanical means, the bar member 25 being carried on a conveyor or othermoving support (not shown) and the package assembly being positioned asshown in FIGURE 10 so that a longitudinal center strip or sectionbetween the inner packages 17 and 17 overlies the top face 27 of the barmember 26, the latter forming a cushion or anvil for the sealingoperation which is performed after the bar member 26 and the associatedpackage assembly are moved beneath a sealing bar, indicated at 28 inFIGURE 11. The sealing bar 28 has a center groove cut in the workingface thereof so as to provide two spaced, relatively narrow sealingsurfaces 29 and 29 for pressure engagement with the package assembly.The supporting bar member 26 and the sealing bar 28 are moved towardeach other to press the two walls of the outer bag between them so as toform the seals 21 and 22 in the area between the inner packages 17 and17'. The bar member 26 is provided with a perforating knife or blade 30which is mounted in the slot 31 in the top 27 of the bar member 26 withits cutting edge slightly above the uppermost surface of the bar member26. To accomplish the perforating of the bag material on the line 25, apressure roller 32 (FIGURES 12 and 13), which is mounted in a suitablesupport 33, is moved along the top surface 27 of the bar member 26 abovethe blade 30 so as to press the material against the cutting edge of theblade and form the perforating line 25. This completes the formation ofthe package which may then be removed from the bar member. The finalpackage is in the condition shown in FIGURE 4.

While the perforation line 25 is employed in the package, as shown, tofacilitate separation of the package units, it will be understood thatany other equivalent weakening line may be substituted for theperforation line in forming the package, it being necessary only to cutor to weaken the material sufiiciently to insure tearing along the line25 when the package units are separated without the tearing linewandering into the seal line of the remaining package unit.

While particular materials and specific structural details have beenreferred to in describing the illustrated form of the invention, it willbe understood that other materials and equivalent structural details maybe resorted to within the scope of the invention.

We claim:

1. A method of forming a multi-unit package which comprises folding arectangular sheet of plastic film upon itself and sealing along oppositesides to provide a tubular section open at one end thereof and closed atthe other end by a gusset-type fold, placing in the tubular section apair of inner bags in which product portions are completely enclosed andsealed so that the inner bags are in longitudinally extending, laterallyspaced relation within the outer bag, sealing across the mouth of theouter bag and trimming away the waste material outside of the seal line,applying a pair of longitudinally extending, laterally spaced seals inthe center portion of the outer bag while the inner bags are held inspaced relation so as to enclose the same in separate compartments, andproviding a weakened severance line between the two center longitudinalseals so as to enable the outer bag to be readily torn 4 into two unitswith each unit completely enclosing an inner bag and its associatedproduct portion.

2. A method of forming a multi-unit package which comprises providing anouter bag having opposite side walls connected by side edge seals and anintegral gusset fold in the bottom forming end thereof, placing in theouter bag a pair of inner bags which have a product enclosed in sealedrelation therein, sealing across the mouth of the outer bag, applying apair of longitudinally extending, laterally spaced seals in the centerportion of the outer bag so as to separate the inner packages andenclose the same in separate compartments, and placing a weakenedseverance line between the two longitudinal seals so to enable the outerbag to be readily torn along said severance line to divide the same intotwo units with each unit completely enclosing in sealed relation aninner bag having a product enclosed therein.

3. A method of forming a twin package which comprises folding arectangular sheet of plastic film upon itself so as to provide a gussetat the fold line and sealing along adjacent side edges to provide atubular bag which is open at one end and closed at the other end by agusset integral with the side walls, placing a pair of inner bags whichhave product portions each enclosed and sealed therein in longitudinallyextending, laterally spaced relation within the outer bag, sealingacross the mouth of the outer bag, applying a pair of longitudinallyextending, laterally spaced seals in the center portion of the outer bagso as to separate the inner bags and enclose each one thereof in aseparate sealed compartment, and perforating the bag material on a linebetween the two longitudinal seals so as to enable the outer bag to bereadily torn along the perforated line to divide the same into twoseparate package units with each unit completely enclosing an inner bagwhich in turn encloses a product.

4. A method as recited in claim 3, and forming the outer bag with ashort seal along the longitudinal center line of the bag and extendingacross the gusset at the closed end thereof so as to provide a guideline for locating the laterally spaced center seals.

5. A method as recited in claim 4, and applying the laterally spacedcenter seals and perforating on a line between the two sealssimultaneously by means of relatively movable combination sealing andperforating devices with the perforating line being located inaccordance with said short seal line.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,182,430 5/1965 Hoeppner 5329TRAVIS S. MCGEHEE, Primary Examiner. E. F. DESMOND, Assistant Examiner.

1. A METHOD OF FORMING A MULTI-UNIT PACKAGE WHICH COMPRISES FOLDING ARECTANGULAR SHEET OF PLASTIC FILM UPON ITSELF AND SEALING ALONG OPPOSITESIDES TO PROVIDE A TUBULAR SECTION OPEN AT ONE END THEREOF AND CLOSED ATTHE OTHER END BY A GUSSET-TYPE FOLD, PLACING IN THE TUBULAR SECTION APAIR OF INNER BAGS IN WHICH PRODUCT PORTIONS ARE COMPLETELY ENCLOSED ANDSEALED SO THAT THE INNER BAGS ARE IN LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING, LATERALLYSPACED RELATION WITHIN THE OUTER BAG, SEALING ACROSS THE MOUTH OF THEOUTER BAG AND TRIMMING AWAY THE WASTE MATERIAL OUTSIDE OF THE SEAL